lunes, 29 de septiembre de 2014

Something I should have done during this summer:
Upload these two Swedish classical literary fragments about nuthouses and their inmates, to reflect upon:

I. Zachris Topelius. Ur Fritänkaren. Bok III Kapitel XIII, "De vises konung bland dârar".Commentary: Like the Fools' Tower or "Gugelhupf" in Austria, the Danviken Nuthouse (the first in Sweden) was a product of the Enlightenment. The story takes place during the reign of Gustavus III (mid-to-late 18th century), and the King himself is coming to pay the nuthouse a visit, which leads to "Welcome Mr. Gustavus" style preparations.

Commentary: This is an allegorical tale, thus, the place where it is set can be any country. However, the presence of an isolated nuthouse hints at an 18th- or 19th-century setting. In this story, Happiness descends upon Earth, only to be rejected by people of all the different social strata.

A rather secondary character in an Oscar Wilde story, a royal guard with very little storytime, is described as "one whose armour was inlaid with gilt flowers".

The one whose armour was inlaid with gilt flowers.

A thesis highlights that this is "splendid armour":... the new guard’s splendid armour ... and tells of his action as he appears;’. . . inlaid with gilt flowers,'"The same guard, comes forward. He is reintroduced with exactly the same syntactic
structure as before ...'. . . whose armour was inlaid with gilt flowers,'"Possible inspiration for Loras Tyrell's character?I'm planning to use this quote in my Snow Queen story "The Queen Beyond the Wall":And then, through the crowd, she saw a blond breastplated knight from behind, golden locks cascading down the nape of his neck all the way to his back, loosely tied together with a green ribbon. She walked quickly towards him, her heart throbbing with excitement. There was so much they had to talk about!Finally, the maiden stood a few steps away from him. She called his name out loud: "Jaime!" Suddenly, he turned around and stepped towards her... It wasn't Jaime!The young knight did resemble Jaime, and he was certainly dashing as well: his hair was curly and a darker shade of blond, and his eyes were a more hazel colour. His armour was inlaid with gilt flowers.From a distance, King Renly, dressed in gold and green, a dark strip of little hairs shading his upper lip, came towards them and asked what the matter was. He was doubtlessly dashing and tall, a true Baratheon. His bride Margaery, dark-haired as well and dressed in a lavender gown, followed him closely. She was petite and beautiful, teal-eyed and lilywhite with rosy lips.And then, Brienne bowed before the royals and asked if she could explain the reason for that in private. And all four of them gathered in a grand hall inlaid with tapestries of great battles, where Brienne told them her tale: how much she loved Jaime, how much he had changed, how coldly they had parted... even the fact that Storm's End was under siege, and that she had been kept captive in the camp where heretics were burned."Oh! So you're a girl? No matter, we'll keep your secret. If discovered, it may lead to unpleasant consequences later on in your life.""I don't think Storm's End will hold any longer... Our army is already prepared to retake our fallen lands! Nevertheless... having come from as far as Tarth... that's a feat of daring-do! Shouldn't we try to help you?", His Grace replied, with a wistful smile on his heart-shaped face.
The royals ordered that a supper should be prepared for Brienne. And thus, she had supper in the banquet hall where the bannermen had already supped, with the King and Queen and their Lord Commander (the maiden learned that he was Loras Tyrell, the Queen's youngest brother and the King's closest friend) for company. So, Brienne was served a cool fruit soup, peaches in honey, and fire-plum mousse, washed down with blood-red, sweet summer wine. She told the royals all about Jaime and more about her quest, and she thanked them for all of their kindness, though the words she could find were few.
No longer did she address them as His and Her Grace: they told her she was free to call them Renly and Margaery. And to call Loras by first name, without the "Ser", as well.
After supper, she was led into the Lord Commander's elegant bedroom and dressed in a fine negligé of crimson silk. Ser Loras courteously offered her to stay in his own bed: he would spend the whole night in the nearby Royal Bedchamber, watching for his crowned sister and brother-in-law.
He said he could do no more.
As Brienne wrapped herself in the soft mint-green brocade bedsheets and drew the golden velvet bed-curtains, she thought of the kindness she had encountered at the court. That night, sweet dreams came to her: she was leaving Highgarden, leaving the Reach, she came into an open field in more northern lands, a rider galloped towards her... it was Jaime, this time, no longer cold or detached, offering her his hand, and both of them riding away past holdfasts and cots. But it was only a dream, and thus, it faded away as soon as she awoke.
The King of the Reach himself peeped in through her bed-curtains, his attendants bringing forth an armour of cobalt blue steel, inlaid with bluebells and forget-me-nots.
So she was dressed in this blue armour, that sparkled on her reflection in the mirror that covered a whole panel of the bedroom wall.
As for Edric, he had eaten supper and then slept with the army officers, having already enlisted in the ranks of the Reach.
For breakfast, there were spiced honey cakes and various fruit pies, served with clear lager and with mint tea. The maiden sat to the left side of Queen Margaery, and the Lord Commander to the right side of King Renly, both royals sitting on the thrones that presided the banquet-hall table.
They talked about the invasion of Storm's End, and Brienne learned that the invaders' leader was also a Baratheon, one of Renly's older brothers, with whom he had broken ties long time ago. The vast army of the Reach had been already trained and prepared for the upcoming conflict.
The royals offered to have a notice about Jaime's whereabouts sent throughout the Seven Kingdoms, and detachments to carry on the inquiry Westeros-wide while the rest of the army was fighting the war.
Renly offered Brienne to enlist in his ranks and join them at the war front, where she could perform gallant feats, but she only asked for a horse, new weapons, and provisions to carry on her search for Jaime.
And thus, right before she crossed the garden gate, she beheld a white gelding, caparisoned in cobalt steel as well, with a green silk saddlecloth, on which the embroidered golden rose of Tyrell and stag of Baratheon shone brightly as stars. From the saddlecloth hung a fine longsword, with the sun and moon of Tarth on its hilt, in a finely ornate scabbard, aside from a fine mint-green silken bag, also embroidered with the Tyrell rose, containing a glass canteen full of summer wine and a dozen journey-cakes.
King Renly and Ser Loras helped her get on her steed, embraced her, and wished her good luck. So did the rest of the royal family. Even Edric came to say farewell, for he was going to war. The young bannerman looked like a child Renly in his breastplate and doublet. He had been given permission to be part of her escort, and thus, they should have a little more time together
"Farewell! Farewell!" said Loras and Renly, and Queen Margaery as well. Looking back at Highgarden for every now and then, the maiden crossed the garden gates with the detachment she had been given for an escort. At the borders of the Reach, the other riders departed to join the army, as Brienne took Edric in her arms and they kissed each other for maybe the last time.
"Farewell!", both said in tears, for maybe they wouldn't see each other anymore. Then, Edric departed with the rest of the riders, leaving Brienne on her own, riding up north. Maybe Jaime had joined the Night's Watch to escape his father's expectations. If so, she was most likely to meet him at the icy Wall where the known world came to an end.So, she led her steed into more Northern lands. At the first inn, she had to exchange that horse for a dun mare after having had breakfast and spent the night there, unaware that there were also scoundrels at that very tavern, and that she'd better be careful with the rarities she carried.one whose armour was inlaid with gilt flowerseiner, dessen Rüstung mit goldenen Blumen inkrustiert war uno cuya armadura tenía en incrustación flores doradasuno, cuya armadura llevaba incrustadas flores doradasun, dont la cuirasse était émaillée de fleurs d'oregy harmadik katona, aranyvirágokkal díszített vértbenen man, vars rustning var prydd med blommor i guldalgú amb l'armadura encastada de flors dauradesMivel hogy nem szép, nem is hasznos többé – jelentette ki a művészetek egyetemi professzora.--Lo que carece de belleza es inútil --afirmó el profesor de Estética de la Universidad. a lo que le sigue una crítica ante la afirmación del profesor de estética según la cual lo que carece de belleza es inútil; De este modo, al amor en el dolor se le suma la idea de la muerte que cuestiona una vez más el esteticismo y la utilidad. Más que una crítica a la afirmación de la acción sin interés, cuestiona el sentido del común.

sábado, 27 de septiembre de 2014

"a princess of surpassing cleverness and beauty":The PrincessThe princess is a supplementary character who only appears in one of the chapters of the Snow Queen story - but she is nonetheless an admirable and inspirational female character, whose story hints at a much longer and grander untold narrative.

"In this kingdom in which we are now sitting, lives a Princess, who is so immoderately clever; but then she has read all the newspapers that are in the world, read and forgotten them again, so clever is she. Lately she was sitting on her throne, when she began to sing, and the theme of her song was "Why should I not marry?" "Well there is something in that, she said, and so she determined to get married; but she must have a husband who knew how to answer when spoken to, not one who could only stand there and look grand, for that is too stupid."

What a fantastic introduction to a character! And what a refreshing change from the fairytale standard of princesses being first and foremost beautiful! The Princess decides on her own that she wants to get married, and she then goes on to specify what kind of a husband she is looking for - one who is intelligent, unabashed by royalty, unafraid of her power and one who "feels at home' with her.

The meeting of the princess and her husband-to-be:

"He was gay (merry) and well behaved, but had not come at all to pay court to the Princess, but only to hear how clever she was. He had every reason to be satisfied with her, and she no less so with him."

Again, what a refreshing subversion of the princess trope! The princess' chosen husband is bright-eyed and merry; a poorly dressed "little person" - a wanderer with creaking boots and a knapsack on his back. No dragonslayer he - but one who can match the princess' intellect, rather than impress her with feats of arms.As well as being clever, the Princess is later shown to be generous and sympathetic, willing to help Gerda into her new golden carriage herself without formality.Though her part is small in the overall story, and she and the Prince go away to "live in foreign places", one feels sure that such a great character must be the heroine of her own legend.

THE SNOW QUEEN STORY SUMMARY

4. The Prince and Princess

In the kingdom there lived a very clever Princess. The Princess decided she should get married, but she wanted to find someone who wouldn’t just stand around and be boring, or be intimidated by the grand castle. She wanted someone who was clever and cheerful. Many people came for her hand but they all became frightened and tongue-tied when they entered the castle.

Then a young man came with long hair, intelligent eyes and poor clothes. He strode in to the palace and wasn’t at all shy. He was bright and interested in learning the Princess’ wisdom. They liked each other right away and he became the Prince.

...into the palace that night...

Shadows along the wall swished past and it was the dreams of the Prince and Princess. They came to the bedroom and the Prince and Princess were each in a bed that looked like a lily.

...the leaves to peek at the Prince, and seeing his red neck...

...the dreams swept through the room, he woke and turned his head...

The Princess woke and asked what was the matter.

...how kind human beings were! In the morning the Prince and Princess gave lovely clothes to wear and asked to stay with them. They gave a muff and boots and a coach of gold with coachmen and horsemen. Then they waved goodbye...

...asked her about the Prince and Princess. “They’re traveling in foreign lands,” said the robber girl.

Fascinating female character: a princess who is so clever that “she has read all the newspapers in the whole world, and has forgotten them again.” This princess decides to get married, but explicitly states that her prince will be someone intelligent and articulate, a man “who knew how to give an answer when he was spoken to--not one who looked only as if he were a great personage, for that is so tiresome.” She ends up choosing a suitor who had no intention of marrying her, but merely entered the castle in order to hear the princess’ wisdom. She chooses a husband who admires her brain, someone who, unlike the actual suitors, did not seek to win her but merely to hear her and enjoy her intellect.

Khac Ti Ang Thuyet, June 2014

Thesis on Andersen female characters (Excerpt)

...has supposedly married a clever and beautiful princess...

She (Gerta) is helped by the prince and princess, who give her a carriage and horse and a little pair of boots so that she might drive out again into the wide world...

the princess gives Gerda a pair of boots and a muff, a carriage and a horse, together with a coachman, footman and outrider, facilitating her journey;

...a clever princess who gave her (Gerta) a golden carriage and a horse.

These stories provide

all we need in the way of awesome images of very strong female characters, whether

good or evil: in the Fourth Story, the clever princess. They are very free in their

world. They are determined and strong-willed. They are able to make choices and

decide their own destinies. They can do what they like to make their own dreams

come true.

The princess is a supplementary character who only appears in one chapter of the

Snow Queen story, yet she is an admirable and inspirational female character. She is

clever and intellectual.

In this kingdom where we are now, there lives a Princess who is

very clever. She has read all the newspapers in the world and forgotten them

again, so clever is she. One day she was sitting on her throne, which is not such

an amusing thing to do either, they say. And she began humming a tune, which

happened to be: “Why should I not be married?”[...]. And she made up her mind

to marry, if she could find a husband who had an answer ready when a question

was put to him, not one who could only stand there and look grand, for that is too

stupid.

(Andersen, 1997, 226)

This is a refreshingly different way to introduce a character, and we find nothing so

witty, ironic, sophisticated in Grimms’ fairy tales' (18)

emphasis on a fairy-tale princess’ beauty rather than, as here, her intelligence and wit

– though in fact we do not know what this princess looks like. She decides on her own

that she wants to get married, and she then goes on to consider what kind of husband

she is looking for – one who is intelligent, “unabashed of royalty,” and who “feels at

home with her” (Andersen, 1997, 126). The man actually chosen by the princess is not

a prince but a wanderer, one with creaking boots and a knapsack on his back.

However, he is “a picture of good looks and gallantry, and then he had not come with

any idea of wooing the Princess, but simply to hear her wisdom, he admired her just

as much as she admired him” (Andersen, 1997, 129). He does not slay any dragon, but

he can match the princess’s intellect with his own rather than impressing her with

victories. Just as our looks may fade; our wealth and status might also be diminished:

only our intellect and wisdom can last. The princess is not only clever; she is generous

and sympathetic as well. She is willing to help Gerda with her new golden carriage.

At the end of the tale, the princess and her husband go away “to live in foreign

countries”. They are free, totally not bound by the traditional social roles.

(18) This would be true even if we only heard the author, or the Raven, or the princess speaking there, but in fact we hear all three in this complex passage that combines three narrative-discursive levels.

Just like the princess, the robber girl is a very inspirational and admirable

Knowledge/power of the mind (intelligent princess seeks her intellectual equal, who happens to be a young student or subaltern officer: her social inferior, but as clever and learned as she is), as opposed to the physical one of wealth and appearances.

Goodness directed by knowledge: a value exemplified before by Shakespearean character Cerimon: In the worthy Cerimon, who restored Thaisa to life, we are instructed
how goodness directed by knowledge, in bestowing benefits upon mankind,
approaches to the nature of the gods. (Mary Lamb, early nineteenth century).

Motifs

Versaillesque/Baroque royal court: elegant and precious setting, with strict rules and class differences.

Intelligent princess: at the start: learned lady / bluestocking [owns many books / reads all newspapers in the world / speaks Latin easily]

[Princess raised as a boy, being heir to the throne]

[Princess is golden blond / red-haired / dark-haired]

[Princess is eighteen years old]

Intelligence isolation / ivory tower / ennui

"Why shouldn't I marry?": Tired of loneliness / yearning for a companion

Partner should be both good-looking and as clever and learned as she is [also a good strategist/warrior, not only dashing and clever: "not one like the most, of those who can only wear a uniform, smile, and always say yes to her, but a real prince: dashing, brave, intelligent, able to encourage the arts during peacetime, and to lead the army in case of war: long story short, one like she saw none upon looking at all the thrones on Earth"] (not only look good: that would be tiresome. According to Ada Bonora, she is too afraid of getting bored with a partner only dashing and courteous)

[Princess does not despair of finding what she wishes: decided as she is not to accept an arranged marriage and to find, in no matter which rank, a spouse worthy of her]

[Informs her advisors in the throne room, then her whole court in the palace gardens, of her decision]

Riddle princess/engagement challenge: battle of wits

Engagement challenge (battle of wits) won by princess's social inferior

Proclamation with monogramme/initials and border of hearts [border of roses] [in Latin, to every university in three kingdoms]

Engagement challenge open to every handsome young man in the kingdom [in three kingdoms] [between the ages of twenty and twenty-five], who is free to appear at court and speak to princess, who will give her hand to the most eloquent one [to the one who, according to her, has got the most intellectual and moral qualities]

Crowds of young men show up at court, but no success on the first or second day

Royal guards in blue and silver

Valets in gold brocade

Halls of mirrors, lighted brilliantly

Chandeliers

Diplomats, courtiers, and state councillors used as servants, carrying golden tableware barefoot

Throne with oversized pearl [completely covered in pearls]

Courtiers lined up around princess, according to rank: the lower rank, the further from throne and the haughtier look

[All suitors unlike the last one are learned men: scholars, alchemists, theologians... in their best black robes of academic silk]

Most suitors can speak well on the street and in a lecture hall, but at court... led by greed/ambition, and/or impressed by their surroundings, they get Stendhal syndrome: can't speak in throne room, and only echo the last words the princess has said: they are rejected and sent away [first impression lets princess know what to expect of them]

[Once outside the palace, they regain speech, and all of them say at unison what they should have said to princess: chaos ensues, "tower of Babel" scenario]

[Line of "stupid bourgeois/townsfolk" at the garden gate, waiting for the suitors to leave, laugh at their disappointment]

Young student/lieutenant, comes on foot wearing faded and worn clothes: modest, immune to Stendhal syndrome, sympathetic to people at court

[This suitor is dark-haired / fair-haired]

[This suitor can read / speak more than one language]

[This suitor is clean shaven]

This suitor wears boots [shoes] that creak loudly [ink on his fingers]

Courtiers with dishes: barefoot

Lowest ranking pages: slippers

"He had not come to woo, but to hear her cleverness": interested in her mind rather than her beauty or fortune: succeeds.

Unexpected warmth and kindness of royals : Optimism / belief in all humankind as good ("How good men/people are [in the wide world] [after all]!"), as opposed to alleged coldness and classism of the higher strata. Goodness directed by knowledge ("goodness directed by knowledge, in bestowing benefits upon mankind,
approaches to the nature of the gods").

Silks and velvet

"Happy life lived" at court (enjoyment, pleasure, all play)

Golden carriage (will be attacked by robbers in Fifth Story)

Coat of arms on carriage shines like star on carriage panels [two coats of arms, of prince and princess, shine like stars]

Sugar pretzels/palmiers, candied fruit, and gingerbread [sweets, candied fruit, and croquignoles] (will be taken by robbers in Fifth Story)

[Fine tall steel-gray horse, its saddle and bridle trimmed with silver bells, and saddlecloth of pure silk, and its saddle-cloth had the prince and princess's coats of arms, entwined, embroidered on it in silk thread.]

Best wishes / wishes of success

"Farewell! Farewell!" [prince and princess both dry up their tears upon leave-taking]

Throwback in Seventh Story

Travelling through foreign lands (honeymoon?) [voyage of exploration]

Probable inspirations:

Solomon (wise, multilingual, wealthy, kindly, reign of peace, romance with favourite wife Bilkis/Sheba, even alleged magical powers, less glorious than "the lilies of the fields" whose attire Lord provides... lilies, like palm leaves and requited love, featured in Song of Songs; ennui featured in Ecclesiastes) and favourite queen Sheba / Bilkis, gender-flipped.

Maria Theresa of Habsburg/Austria (learned, multilingual, wealthy and powerful, heir and later ruler) and consort Francis Steven of Lorraine (a good man as father and spouse, her social inferior, both spouses enlightened despots).

In the Trojan Cycle, Helen gets to choose her spouse herself: she chooses Menelaus. She chooses a spouse that is more of a father/authority figure above all others.